This year has been a busy one for Keep Our NHS Public (KONP). Amid increasing attacks on the NHS by the government, we’ve been working hard with local groups, NHS workers, other campaigns and trade unions to fight for our NHS.
In our 20th Year, local groups have held weekly stalls up and down the country. We have organised several local, national and regional public events focusing on a variety of campaign issues. We have held monthly online Members and Supporters meetings, frequently appeared in the press, and our working groups have been campaigning on specific issues like maternity care, primary care, mental health services and more.
We have worked with and in support of health unions, supported several trade union strikes, notably of low-paid NHS workers. We have also strengthened our ties with other trade unions and met with MPs and notable party figures to discuss why and how we can fight for our NHS. We have attended various trade union conferences to leaflet and speak to delegates about saving our NHS.
KONP has also made clear links with the fight for the NHS and the fight for a more just and peaceful world, for instance by joining the Gaza demonstrations, and by holding meetings and creating literature in support of migrants and against the far-right.
The huge number of people who have supported, organised and campaigned with KONP this year have been fundamental to our campaign, as have all of our dedicated activists, some of whom have been with us since we were founded, and others who have joined us more recently. We thank both of our co-chairs, our Steering Group and Executive Committee for their hard work and commitment this year, as well as our office staff who work behind the scenes to keep us going.
We are already planning activities for next year, including working with the SOS Coalition to campaign around the winter crisis and taking part in the Together Alliance demonstration in March.
We know 2026 will bring more challenges. However, with your help we will continue our fight for an NHS that is free at the point of need, publicly provided, fully funded and accountable. We know that the NHS can be great, and next year we will continue to fight to restore it to its founding principles
We started the year with a day of action to call on the government to tackle the NHS winter crisis.
Later that month we organised a joint rally in Central London, while Wes Streeting was interviewed by the Guardian at an event in Conway Hall.
We held a rainy rally outside Parliament calling on MPs to defend the NHS and for Keir Starmer to invest in the NHS, not the private sector.
We joined Disabled People Against Cuts at their ‘Welfare not Warfare’ demonstration, which marched from Downing Street to Parliament and called on the Government to reverse the cruel disability cuts.
KONP supported the People’s Assembly demonstration, marching under the banner: “No to Austerity 2.0 – Welfare Not Warfare.” Demonstrators delivered an urgent warning about the Labour government’s return to cuts and scapegoating, calling for maximum unity against austerity, investment in public services, and against racism and war.
July 2025 marked the 77th anniversary of the founding of the National Health Service. Keep Our NHS Public activists from around the country organised local events to celebrate the NHS. The message from these successful local events was clear: we need to protect our NHS for future generations.
Our Crowdfunding campaign raised urgently needed funds for our important campaign – thanks to all those who supported it – we wouldn’t be here without you!
NHS activists marched in Liverpool at the Labour Party Conference.
KONP pushed back against the Government’s plan to cut in excess of 100,000 jobs. At the Labour Party Conference, our wrap-around was on every copy of the Morning Star distributed at conference and KONP speakers appeared at NHS Fringe meetings.
Our sister organisation, End Social Care Disgrace, held a successful conference in Manchester, to discuss how we can fight for social care that works for all of us.
At ‘NHS in crisis: Migrants not to blame’, Keep Our NHS Public were joined by NHS workers, trade unionists, Green Party Leader Zack Polanski and Zarah Sultana MP. We held a successful meeting against anti-migrant xenophobia and for an NHS for all.
Keep Our NHS Public joined the 99% Organisation in Parliament for the launch of NHS: Fit for the Future?
Addressed by John Lister and others, the Yorkshire Health Campaigns Conference was a success bringing campaigners together right across Yorkshire.
Our Primary Care working group held their ‘GP services under attack: How do we fight back?’ conference in North London to discuss how we can fight for primary care, with GPs, patient voices and NHS activists.
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